from foodnetwork.com - Rachel Ray's 30-minute Meals
with variations by Pam

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 lb. chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons cider or white wine vinegar
15 dried pitted apricots, chopped
2 cups chicken stock
12 oz. jar apricot all fruit spread or apricot preserves
Cornstarch and cold water
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Cut chicken breasts into 2-3 pieces, on the diagonal.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.
Add oil and chicken.
Season with salt and pepper.
Lightly brown the chicken a few minutes on each side.
Add onions.
Cook 5 minutes.
Add vinegar to the pan and let it evaporate.
Add apricots and stock.
When stock comes to a bubble, add preserves and stir to combine.
Cover pan with lid or foil, reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove lid and use cornstarch mixed with cold water to thicken slightly.
Cook for a couple minutes.

Serve over rice.
Serve chicken with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.
Subtle flavors - a bit like sweet and sour chicken but not so sweet or sour.

Notes:

Original recipe called for twice the amount of chicken I have shown above, but I found that it was better to have more sauce so I reduced the amount of chicken.

I used 2 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in two cups of hot water rather than chicken stock.

Original recipe also did not use any thickening agent at the end, but since there is more sauce this way, I felt that it needed a little thickening. (Mix a tablespoon or so of cornstarch with a bit of cold water.)

I added more apricot preserves (originally called for 1 cup).

from: Brianna Carroll

2 cans Campbells Chicken and Rice Soup
2 cans Campbells Cream of Chicken Soup
2 cans of corn
2 cans of Rotel (tomatoes and seasonings)
1 Bag of Tortilla chips

Open ALL the cans and dump them in a big pot.
Don't drain any of the cans.
Add a little water if you want it a little soupier.
Heat up til boiling, then serve.
After you have the soup in your individual bowls, grab a handful of chips and crumble into the soup.
Very tasty. The Rotel tomatoes and seasonings add the spicy flavor.

Notes:

Good for a crowd when you need something cheap and really fast.

If you cut this in half it would serve around four people.

For those who aren't familiar with Rotel - these are usually found with the canned tomatoes in your grocery store. It's a combination of chopped tomatoes, green chiles and spices.

from foodnetwork.com, Rachel Ray's 30-minute meals

Vegetable oil, for frying
4 (6 to 8-ounce) pieces boneless, skinless chicken
10 blades fresh chives, chopped to about 2 tablespoons
A palmful fresh parsley, finely chopped to about 2 tablespoons
A palmful fresh dill, finely chopped, about 2 tablespoons
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
6 tablespoons softened butter
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1 cup plain bread crumbs
A wedge lemon
Salt and pepper
Plain, round toothpicks

A few hours ahead of time if possible:
Combine chopped herbs, chopped garlic and softened butter.
Mix well. Form into a log/rectangular shape and wrap in plastic wrap.
Freeze it.
When ready to use just cut log into 4 pieces.

In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 1/2 inches vegetable oil over medium high heat. The oil needs to be 360 degrees F for frying. If you do not have a frying thermometer, add a cube of white bread to hot oil. If the bread browns in a 40 count, the oil is ready.

Cover work surface with waxed paper. Arrange breasts on paper.
Butterfly chicken breasts, cut into flesh and across, but not through the breast, and open up.
Cover breast meat with a second sheet of waxed paper.
Pound out cutlets to 1/4-inch thick with a small heavy skillet or a rubber mallet.
Be careful not to tear meat. Don't go crazy with the mallet. If you butterfly the breasts, you don't have to pound much.
Set chicken aside.

Set out flour, eggs beaten with a splash of cold water and bread crumbs, in shallow bowls, plates, or disposable pie tins.
Uncover chicken and squeeze a wedge of lemon over opened breasts.
Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Place a piece of the herb butter on each piece of chicken.
Wrap and roll cutlets tightly up and over the butter cubes.
Secure stuffed chicken with toothpicks.
Roll stuffed breasts in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs.
Fry the Kiev bundles 7 to 8 minutes on each side until deep golden brown all over.

Serving suggestion: Potatoes and Onions and Sweet Peas Au Gratin.

Note: some recipes call for doing the chicken up ahead of time, complete with bread crumbs and then putting in fridge for at least an hour to let the breading dry out which might be helpful.

If you don't have time to do the herb butter ahead, in the original recipe, Rachel Ray says to just use chilled butter and roll the butter in your mix of herbs and garlic and then place on the chicken breasts.

I do recommend using her method to butterfly the chicken breasts. I didn't do that but instead pounded them out with a mallet - and tore up the breasts a bit. I think using the butterfly method would be better. And be sure to use either a rubber mallet or a flat skillet - not a meat tenderizing mallet.

Very nice dish. The fresh dill really adds something great to the subtle flavor combo in this.

3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 - 3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon butter

1. Cut each chicken breast into 2 or 3 pieces. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat and saute the chicken until it is nicely browned on one side (about 3 minutes).

3. Add the garlic. Turn the chicken breasts and scatter the mushrooms over them. Continue frying, shaking the skillet and stirring the mushrooms. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the balsamic vinegar, broth, bay leaf and thyme. Cover tightly with either a lid or foil, and simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes, turning occasionally.

4. Transfer the chicken to a warm serving platter and cover with foil. Set aside. Continue simmering the sauce, uncovered, over medium high heat for about 7 minutes. Swirl in the butter, right at the end, or margarine and discard the bay leaf. Pour this mushroom sauce mixture over the chicken and serve.

Serving suggestion: Over rice, with roasted green beans and glazed carrots.

Notes:

You can add half an onion to this sliced thin, added in when you turn the chicken.

Without the onion, and using 3/4 lb mushrooms, carb counts:
Total carbs for the entire dish = 12.2 carbs
For 3 servings, each serving = 4.06 carbs

Fantastic green beans!

Preheat to 400 degrees

1/2-3/4 pound fresh green beans (the long skinny ones)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crumbled thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon crumbled marjoram (or oregano leaves)
Salt and freshly ground Pepper

Wash the beans.
Trim off the ends.
On a cookie sheet, toss beans with oil, salt, pepper, thyme and marjoram until evenly coated. (I just use dried spices for this.)

Roast 20 minutes, turning beans once or twice for even browning.
(keep an eye on them at 15 minutes so they don't get overcooked)

Servings = 2
Total carbs = 9 approx.
net carbs per serving = 4.5 approx.

This is the best peanut butter cookie I've ever made.
From Betty Crocker's Cookbook

1/2 c. white granulated sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. shortening
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 egg
1 1/4 c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix sugars, peanut butter, shortening, butter and egg.
Stir in remaining ingredients.
Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll dough into balls.
Place on cookie sheet.
Flatten in a crisscross pattern with a fork dipped in white sugar.

Bake 9-10 minutes, until just lightly browned.
Cool a couple minutes and then remove from cookie sheet.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.